The present invention generally relates to oil well derricks, and is more particularly concerned with a stabbing board assembly mountable, preferably, as a temporary installation on a well derrick.
It is a common expedient in the well art to provide some form of support or platform for accommodating a derrick man at a position well above the floor of the derrick, particularly during a running of the casing pipe into the well, in order to assist in properly axially aligning the casing pipe during the stabbing operation. Attention is directed to the following patents as constituting the most pertinent prior patent art known:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issued ______________________________________ 2,191,643 Deckard February 27, 1940 2,257,520 York September 30, 1941 2,291,055 Ortloff July 28, 1942 2,328,925 Scott September 7, 1943 2,345,253 Funk March 28, 1944 2,358,755 Woody et al September 19, 1944 2,662,797 Moon December 15, 1953 2,885,096 DeJarnett May 5, 1959 3,752,263 Thevenot August 14, 1973 3,799,364 Kelly et al March 26, 1974 3,976,207 Schultz August 24, 1976 ______________________________________
These patents all are considered of interest in setting forth the general environment of the present invention and disclosing a variety of different forms of support platforms or boards heretofore utilized in providing an elevated work surface for a derrick man. Such platforms are intented to provide ready access to the casing pipe as the pipe is manipulated, normally from a storage position, to axial alignment with previously positioned sections within the well bore. In each instance, the known platforms leave much to be desired with regard to adaptability to existing derricks including, in particular, an inability to mount temporarily at substantially any point along the height of the derrick and at the same time to accommodate itself after mounting, through both vertical and horizontal adjustment means, to precisely position the derrick man.